Shovel.



A. F. STAPLES.

SHOVEL.

APPLICATION man NOV. e. 1915.

1,241,677. Patented 001:. 2, 1917.

ALBERT F. STAPLES, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

SHOVEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 2, 1917.

Application filed November 6, 1915. Serial No. 60,057.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Annnn'r F. STAPLES, a

citizen of the United States, and resident of New York, in the countyofNew York and State of New York, have invented certain new and. usefulImprovements in Shovels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates more particularly to shovels of the type in whicha foraminous body is employed, so that the shovel may be used as anash-sifter.

In U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,108,270, grantedto me August 25, 1914, Ihave disclosed a shovel designed for use as an ashsifter, and thepresent invention relates to improvements in the device disclosed inthat patent. One object of the invention is to improve the form andconstruction of the body of the shovel, in such a inanne' as to promotethe sifting of the ashes therein, and to this end I so form the bodythat at its closed rear end it has a central forwardlyconvex portion andlateral concave portions or pockets, the effect of this form being tocause a mass of ashes, when moving rearwardly within the body, to bedivided and projected somewhat outwardly, toward the sides of the body,which facilitates the passage of the ashes through the interstices ofthe body.

Another object of the invention is to provide a light, rigid andinexpensive construction for the body of the shovel. Tothis end I formthe body of a series of continuous wires, each comprising lateral,substantially straight, parallel members connected together, at theirrear ends, by transverse members, thesetransverse members being fastenedin the shank or handle of the shovel in the novel manner hereinafterdeprojections and runners hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings Figure l is a plan-viewof a shovelembodying the present invention, with a portion of the handle brokenaway, and showing the closure-member in depressed or open position;

Fig. 9. is a side-elevation, partly in vertical section, showing theparts in the same position; and

Fig. 3 is a side-elevation of the shovel, showing the closure-member inclosed position.

The invention is illustrated as embodied in a shovel having a foraminousbody 5, an elongated handle (5, and a manually movable member 7 adaptedto constitute, alternatively, an end-closure and a lip for the body 5.

One feature of the invention resides in the form and construction of thebody 5. The body is framed by a series of continuous lengths of wire,each comprising two substantially parallel lateral members 8, connectedby a transverse member at the rear. The transverse members of the wires,as shown particularly in Fig. l, are bent so as to provideforwardly-convex middle parts 9, and lateral concave parts 10, themiddle parts 9 being fixed to the shank 11 by which the body isconnected with the handle (3. When the member 7 is in raised position,so as to close the opening in the body, the mass of ashes in the shovelmay be shaken back and forth in the usual manner, and the finer asheswill pass through the spaces between the parallel wires of the body.\Vhcn the ashes are shaken, in this manner, against the rear end of thebody they are divided by the central convex part adjacentthe shank l1,and are thus thrown outwardly into the concave parts 10, and more orless against the side-members S of the body. This actionfacilitates thesifting of the ashes, as it prevents them from being concentratedagainst the imperforate shank and increases the agitation to which theyare subjected.

Another feature of the invention resides in the simple and effectivemeans for con necting the body with the handle. For this purpose theshank 11 is clmnnel-shaped, be ing made preferably of sheet-metal, andthe edges of the lateral flanges of the shank are notched, as shown, toreceive the middle portions of the wires. The wires are secured andclamped in the notches by means of a clamping-member 12, in the form ofa strip of sheet-metal which lies across the wires and betweentheflanges of the shank.

Rivets 13, passing through the shankand the clamping-member, draw theseparts tightly together, thus binding the wires securely in place.

The forward ends of the wires are con truss-like constructionconnecting. the handle with the member 14. The clamping member 12 iscontinued forwardly to form the middle portion ofthe body, and also toconstitute the upper truss-member, while the lower member is in the formof a metal strip 28. The rear end of the strip is secured to the handleby the same rivets 29 which secure the shank in place. The member 12 andthe strip 28 are connected rig, idly by the rivets 13 and by additlonalrivets 30, being spaced apart by sleeves 31 surrounding the rivets,.asshown in Fig. 2. At their forward ends they are riveted to the top andbottom of the member 14.

The member 14 is provided, at 1tS f0I- ward edge, with sleeves toreceive a hingepintle orpivot-wire 15, and the closure-member 7 isprovided with corresponding hingesleeves embracing the wire 15, so as top1vot the closure-member to the body. As in the sifter-shovel of my saidpatent, the closuremember has lateral portions 16, bent at right-anglesto its body-portion, and constituting continuations of the s des of thebody when the member is in positlon to act as a lip for the body. Theselateral members 16 are also extended rearwardly and downwardly, so as toprovide supports 17 which project to a substantial distance beneath thebody when the end-closure 1s 1n closed position, as in Fig. 3.

A feature of the invention resides in the provision, upon the forwardand lower edges of'the supports 17, of projections or convex portions18, which are solocated that when the closure-member is in position toact as a lip, as in Fig. 2, these'portions 18 project slightly below thebody so that they may engage the floor-surface upon which it rests andact as runners to partially support the shovel. The pressure of these.members against the floorsurface has the further useful function that.it tends to cause the closure-member to be swung downwardly, so as tomaintain its forward edge in close engagement with the floor-surface,thus causing it to act efiectively as a lip to enter beneath a mass ofashes resting onv the floor, notwithstanding variations in the angle atwhich the body is presented to the floorsurface.

The closure-member 7 is manually operated by means of a rod 19, which ispivoted, at its forward end, to a lug" 20 struck up from theclosure-member. The rear end of the rod is provided with a handle 21,and

when therod has been drawn rearwardly, to a close the shovel, the handle21 may be conveniently grasped together with the transverse grip 22 ofthe handle of the shovel, thus enabling the shovel to be operatedconveniently with one hand.

In order to hold the closure-member 7 rigidly in open position, the rod19 is provided with a collar 32 which cooperates with a slotteddetent-plate 33 fixed on the side of the handle. When the rod is thrustforwardly the collar rides over the slanting surface of the detent andthen snaps into engagement with its end, owing to the resiliency of therod. WVhenthe closure-member is to be returned to closed position theoperator may release the collar from the detent by bending the rodoutwardly. 3 1

In the sifter-shovel'described in my said patent the supportscorresponding to the parts 17 of the present-device are'adapted to restdirectly upon the floors-surface, and constitute the sole means for.supporting the body from the floor. A-featureof the present invention,however, resides in theuse of elongated runners interposed between thesupports 17 and the floor-surface. These runners, as illustrated, areformed by asingle length of heavy wire comprising two substantiallyparallel members 23 adapted to engage the floor-surface and tom0vesmoothly over it. The forward ends of the runners are bent upwardly,and are pivoted to the support 17 by means of rivets 24,

while the rear ends of the runners are connected by a transverse curvedmember 25.

This transverse member is connected, at its middle point, with the shank11 by means of a U-shaped link26, which-has eyes at its ends embracingthe part 25, while its transverseniiddle portion is'loosely embracedbetween the shank and the clamping-member 12, as shown in Fig.2. Theparts are so proportioned and arranged that when the closure-member isin position to act as a lip,as shown in Fig. 2, the link 26 is swung toits rearmost, substantially horizontal position,

and the body of the shovel may then rest directly upon thefloor-surface, since the link may swing yupwardly sufiiciently to permitthe runners to be pressed snugly up against the body.

While I have described the body of the shovel as composed of a wirefabric consisting solely of parallel wires, it will be apparent that itmay be composed of foraminous wirefabrio of other forms, and that, ingendefined in the following claims, I

I claim 1. In a shovel, the combinat1on, with a foraminous body, of amanually operable member pivoted to the forward end of the body andmovable into position to constitute, alternatively, an end-closure and alip, said member comprising also supports movable into and out of aposition in which they project to a substantial distance below the body;the supports having convex portions, on their forward edges below thepivotal axis, which project slightly below the body, in the rear of thepivotal axis, when said manually operable member is in position to actas a lip, so that said convex portions are adapted to act as runners forthe shovel and to maintain the lip in depressed position.

2. In a shovel, the combination, with a foraminous body and a memberpivoted to the forward end of the body and manually movable intoposition to constitute, alternatively, an end-closure and a lip for thebody, of runners extending longitudinally below the body; and means forlowering and raising the runners according as the endclosure is inclosed or open position.

3. In a shovel, the combination, with a foraminous body and a memberpivoted to the forward end of the body and manually movable intoposition to constitute, alternatively, an end-closure and a lip for thebody, of runners extending longitudinally below the body and pivoted, attheir forward ends, to said member so as to be raised when said memberis in open position and lowered when it is in closed position.

4. In a shovel, the combination, with a foraminous body and a memberpivoted to the forward end of the body and manually movable intoposition to constitute, alternatively, an end-closure and a lip for thebody, of parallel runners extending longitudinally below the body andformed by a generally U-shaped rod having its ends pivoted to saidmanually movable member; and a link pivoted at its ends, respectively,to the middle portion of said rod and to the body of the Sifter.

5. A shovel having, in combination, a shank channel-shaped incross-section and provided with a series of notches in the edges of itsside-flanges, a series of wires bent to provide side-memberssubstantially parallel and extending forwardly from the shank, andmiddle-portions seated in said notches, a clamping member extendingacross the middle-portions of the wires on the opposite side from theshank, and means for fixing the clamping-member to the shank so as toclamp the wires in the notches.

6. In a shovel, a body having a foraminous closed rear end, comprising acentral forwardly projecting portion, and two lateral concavities intowhich the contents of the body may be deflected by the central portion.

7. In a shovel, a body comprising a series of wires, each bent toprovide two substantially horizontal parallel side-members and atransverse rear portion connecting the side-members, said rear portionbeing for-- wardly convex at the middle and concave at each sidethereof; and a shank fixed to and connecting the wires at the middle ofsaid rear portions.

8. In a shovel, a body comprising a channel-shaped shank; a foraminouswire fabric crossing the open side of the shank and extending forwardlytherefrom; a clampingmember extending along the shank and across saidwire fabric and secured to the shank to clamp the wires thereon, theclamping-member also extending forwardly from the shank; and atransverse member connecting the forward extremities of theclamping-member and the wire fabric.

9. In a shovel, the combination, with a foraminous body and a memberpivoted to the forward end of the body and adapted to servealternatively as a closure and a lip therefor, of manually operablemeans for moving the closure to, and holding it in open position, saidmeans comprising a rod extending from the closure-member to the handle,and a detent for preventing rearward movement of the rod when theclosuremember is in open position.

ALBERT F. STAPLES.

Copies of this patentrmay be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G.

